HUNTSVILLE, Texas -
With a four-all tie going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks thought they were playing it safe by intentionally walking Sam Houston State's Tanya Hooser, but the next batter, Elizabeth Gibson, sent a three-run shot out of the park to win the game, 7-4, in the nightcap of Saturday's Southland Conference doubleheader at the SHSU Softball Field. The Bearkats also won Game 1, 7-2.

In the first half of the twin bill, the Ladyjacks put themselves on the board early when senior Carrie Woydziak crossed the plate in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Tara Hersey. SHSU responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the same inning.

The Bearkats put themselves ahead in the second inning, 2-1, and tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. The Ladyjacks, however, made a rally in the sixth inning when senior Lee Lara and sophomore Jessica Tullos hit solo home runs to put SFA within one.

In the seventh inning, Woydziak, who had reached on a double to left field, scored on an error by the Bearkat first baseman to force extra innings after an uneventful bottom half of the inning.

The Ladyjacks, however, could not hold on as senior Nicole Carter, who pitched 3.2 innings, gave up the three-run blast to Gibson to end the ballgame.

For the game, lead-off hitter Woydziak was 3-of-4 with two runs scored. Lara, who hit her sixth home run of the season, was 2-of-4, as was Tullos, who hit her first homer of the spring.

Carter took the loss to move her record to 2-7. Freshman Kari Hugie who started the game took the no decision.

In Game 1, the Ladyjacks gave up six runs early and scored two runs in the fifth to avoid the shutout, but it wasn't enough. The Bearkats crossed the dish once more in the sixth and took the win, 7-2.

Senior Traci Moore, who made her seventh start for SFA, took the loss to even her record at 3-3. Woydziak, the center fielder, was 2-of-4 with a run scored and Carter, who made the start in right field, was 2-of-3 with a run scored.

The Ladyjacks fell to 8-12 on the year and 1-4 in SLC play. SHSU now sits with at 8-12 overall and 2-0 in SLC action.

The teams will return to the field Sunday for the series finale at the SHSU Softball Field at 1 p.m.